Coal loading machine



Sept. L 1953 R FRY 2,650,691

COAL LOADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNEYJ' Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COAL LOADING MACHINE Cosby R. Fry, Summersville, W. Va.

Application October 1, 1952, Serial No. 312,625 Claims. (Cl. 198l0) The present invention relates to improvements in coal loading machines, and particularly that type of loading machines employed in gathering coal from the floor of a mine and transferring it to cars for transportation from the mine.

Coal loading machines of the general type in question are disclosed, for example, in United States Patent No. 1,306,064, granted June 10, 1919, and comprise generally a self-propelled vehicle adapted to move on rails or on the floor of a mine, so as to be positioned in proper relation to the face of the Vein which is being worked, the machine comprising means for gathering lumps of coal from the floor of the mine, and travelling conveyor means for moving the gathered coal rearwardly over the machine to a point at which it is deposited in a car or other means for transporting it from the mine.

The gathering mechanism embodied in such machines comprises generally a pair of laterally spaced gathering arms each provided with suitable picks or fingers and each movable in an orbital path, the said arms being moved in synchronism by a common driving means. In machines of this character. now in common and widespread use, the driving means for the gathering arms comprises a shaft extending transversely of the gathering mechanism and commonly known as a foot shaft, which foot shaft is provided at each end with a bevel pinion meshing with a ring gear to which is secured the crank disc for operating the associated gathering arm. The bevel pinions on the respective ends of the foot shaft, and the ring gears associated therewith, are enclosed within casings provided at either side at the forward end of the machine. In some instances the foot shaft is driven by sprocket chains associated with the travelling conveyor mentioned above, and in other instances the foot shaft is driven by means independent of the said conveyor, the driving power being transmitted through a shaft extending longitudinally of the machine and carrying a bevel pinion meshing with one of the aforesaid ring gears associated with a gathering arm.

In man of the machines now in use, frequent breakdown of the gathering mechanism occurs through overloading, which causes distortion or destruction of one or both ring gears at the point or points of engagement with the aforesaid bevel pinions. The primary object of the present invention is to provide means whereby such breakdowns may be avoided, by providing adequate backing-up of the ring gears opposite their points of engagement with the said bevel pinions,

whereby the ring gears are prevented from deforming at this point, with resultant injury to the gears and interruption to the operation of the machine.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide, in a machine of the character described, backing-up blocks of steel or other suitable material, supported in and by the respective gear casings, in engagement with or in close proximity to the said ring gears at points opposite their engagement with the said bevel pinions whereby, when an overload is encountered, the ring gear is prevented from being forced out of engagement with one or more of the bevel pinions, but is maintained securely in mesh therewith. In this way, the overload cause a stalling of the machine, without destruction of any parts.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side view, partly in section, of the gathering mechanism of a coal loading ma-- chine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a backing-up block according to the invention.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and detailed descriptive language is employed. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that various changes and alterations are contemplated such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the gathering arms Ill (only one of which is illustrated) of the loading mechanism of a machine of the character described are pivotally mounted on crank pins l I each of which is carried by a crank disc l2 suitably journalled in a casing it one of which is disposed at either side of the machine. A rearward extension [4 of the arm It is journalled on a second crank pin l5 carried by a link It mounted on a fixed pivot H. The motion of the arm l0, caused by rotation of the disc I2, is thus confined and guided in a definite orbit.

The crank disc 12 is rigidly secured to a ring gear It suitably journalled in the casing [3 which ring gear meshes with bevel pinion IS on the end of shaft 20. The shaft 20 is driven, through a suitable speed-reducing clutch mechanism 2|, by a motor 22.

As seen in Figure 2, the ring gear I8 also meshes with a bevel pinion 23 secured at one end of the foot shaft 24 which extends transversely of the machine and into a second casing [3 (not shown) whereby means of a similar bevel pinion and ring gear connection, it drives a second crank disc similar to the crank disc l2, for powering the opposite gathering arm of the pair.

Overloading of the gathering mechanism, in machines of this character now in use, invariably causes distortion and/or destruction of one or both ring gears at their points ofengagement with the bevel pinions [9 and/or 23, with attendant delay, loss of production and expensive replacement of parts.- According to the present invention, this distortion and destruction are avoided by providing a backing-up block 25 behind or above each ring gear at each point of its engagement with a bevel pinion, such block substantially filling the space between the ring gear and the wall of the casing l3 at that point. Conveniently, the block may have the form best illustrated in Figure 3,,comprising a thicker portion 25 and a thinner portion 21-, the thicker portion being adapted to be inserted between the ring gear and the casing, while the thinner portion 21 is extended into a closely fitting aperture 28 formed in the wall of the casing I3 and is thus secured in and maintained in the proper position. Insertion of the blocks 25 may be made whenever the mechanism is disassembled for any purpose, the blocks being put in place after the ring gears 18 are installed on their journals.

The presence of a block 25 bearing against the casing I3 on one side and th ring gear (8 on the other, causes the ring gear to be reinforced by the casing wall against distortion out of'its plane, and thus greatly reduces the likelihood of damage. due to overload.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coal loading machine of the type having a gathering mechanism comprising gathering fingers and driving means for said fingers including a driving pinion, a driven ring gear meshing with said pinion, means for driving said pinion and a casing inclosing said ring gear and pinion, means resisting distortion 01' said ring gear due to overloading of said gathering fingers, said means comprising a backing member inserted between said ring gear and said casing on the side of the ring gear away from said I pinion and at a point opposite the point of engagement of said ring gear and pinion.

2'. Distortion resisting means according to claim 1, said backing member consisting of a steel block.

3. Distortion resisting means according to claim 1, said backing member having a first portion overlapping said ring gear and substantially filling the space between said ring gear and said casing at. the point opposite said pinion, and a second portion projecting beyond the periphery of said ring gear and into positioning engagement with said casing.

4. Distortion resisting means according to claim, 3, said casing being formed with a lateral aperture opposite the position occupied by said first portion of said backing member and adapted to receive said second portion of said backing member.

5. Distortion resisting means according to .claim 4-, said aperture and said second portion being of smaller cross-sectional area than said first portion of said backing member.

COSBY R. FRY.

No references cited. 

